leather vs textile jacket

[mogu83]

Thinking of motorcycle jackets.
When your buying a new one consider what bike you'll be using it on. I bought a jacket with vents on the chest area and rode a bike with a big fairing - the vents were useless. A jacket with vents high on the shoulders did the trick. Also no matter what the manufacture says, their are no water proof zippers eventually the water will find its way in.
Another thing to check is if you can open and close the vents while on the bike, I have a textile Belstaff cut in the old wax cotton style (surprising no one brought up the wax cotton option) that has vents that are impossible to open while riding the bike and small buckles instead of velcro that require two hands to do and undo - but it looks cool. The Belstaff has been relegated as my cold weather jacket and I keep the electric liner and gloves in it.
Favorite textile jacket is a Motodress that I bought in Germany in the mid 60s, cut in the old Belstaff/Barbour style minimal padding, no vents but easy to wear and keeps the water out for a few hours.

[curmudgeon]

I still have a couple of leather jackets and leather overpants but I only use them if the weather is assured to be dry. I've been riding (on-road) since 1976 and always hated having to stop and put on rain gear only to have it stop raining and turn hot so I could sweat until I took it off again. And that just guarantees more rain 15 miles down the road. I'm running a combo of Hein Gericke, First Gear and Joe Rocket textile gear now and really like being able to keep riding in the rain without costume changes. I do keep a rain suit with me on long trips for all-day downpours but it's rare that I ever need to put it on.

Years ago you pretty much looked like the Michelin man if you wanted to stay warm and the gear took up a lot of storage space. Between a heated vest and either merino wool or Capilene® type layers combined with modern textile outer gear I can stay warm and dry on long trips. Merino wool also has the added benefit of not smelling bad even after several days of wearing it. Not looking like the little brother in "A Christmas Story" (I can't move my arms!) and not needing Gold Wing sized storage makes the ride more enjoyable for me.

Leather may still have some slight advantage in abrasion resistance but in my opinion the textile gear is more suited to varied uses. On a dry day where I plan to decarbonize the engine on a short run I will still default to leather but on anything longer than a day trip I prefer textile outer gear.

[lewellen]

With all that's been said, I can't really add too much, except perhaps this:

Whatever you wind up going for, buy quality. That means good material (no top-grain leather, no windbreaker-thickness nylon), well-stitched seams, heavy-duty zippers, well-placed fasteners, sufficient adjustments so as to let the gear fit close but not too tight, and so forth.

Little things matter. If there's exposed Velcro on the collar, to use an example from my own jacket, it can grab and bind up the chin strap pads on helmets. Seemingly little things like that can matter a lot over a long ride ... or in an emergency, when you find you can't easily turn your head.

If there's armor, make sure it fits you in the right places; if you have long arms, for instance, (like I do) sometimes the elbow pads can wind up in the wrong place, which is (a) uncomfortable and (b) less helpful in a crash.

Besides fit and functionality, higher-quality gear will generally last longer if properly taken care of.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[Mark]

For my money - I have never had a better combination of fit, comfort, temperature control, water proofing and overall good looks than the "Comfort Shell" Jacket and Pants from BMW.

- 100% waterproof with a 2 year guarantee.
- Have some amazing material technology "c-change" that opens and closes at a textile level to regulate temperature and water proofing.
- on top of that there are zipped vents front and back to give you great air flow on hot days.
- It has impact armor which conforms to your body shape.
- Looks good and fits well (stretches in the right places so you don't have a baggy ass or knees), so when you get off and go walking around you don't look too out of place. My wifes ass looks great in them.
- comes in different colors (I like the black)
- has highly reflective patches that make you glow in direct light. Makes for some interesting travel pics when you use a flash.

A light weight fleece underneath for cool riding or thermal long pants and top for colder riding and you are set for all seasons in one day. Not Arctic proof but a fantastic all-around outfit.

Having said all of this - I have not taken them for a slide so I can't give first hand account of the abrasion resistance but hey - this is BMW.

I recently road for two weeks to Tasmania (Australia) from Sydney and back (almost 5,000 km) and experienced temps between 5.5C and 36C and this gear did the trick. It was still cold and hot at times but nothing would have given the range of comfort this gear did. Also, the knowledge that if it started raining that we were already set up with waterproof gear was great. And as you all know, when you are touring, luggage space is limited, so a single outfit that covers all your needs means more room for other stuff.

If I had to find a fault with it - being a mesh (of sorts), bugs are a bit difficult to wipe off but not impossible.

I highly recommend this gear.

[ContraMoto]

My favorite piece of gear for when it's raining is...

...my 1998 328i sedan.

[ShinySideUp]

My wifes ass looks great in them.

And you expect us to believe your review without proper pictures?

[lewellen]

My wifes ass looks great in them.

And you expect us to believe your review without proper pictures?

We don't have to believe him; only she does. :-)

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[redwing]

Hey Mark...Your post about the gear you use is very good and I'm sold. However I have a question about your ride "Tasmania (Australia) from Sydney and back (almost 5,000 km)." I looked at google maps and from what I could see Tasmania is an island. Perhaps there is a city on the mainland of Australia called Tasmania.

Robert

[Bodes]

It's pretty simple really. You should get what you pay for. If you ride a naked, buy the gear you need because you ain't riding a comfort limo.

If you buy BMW gear you do -pay heaps and get quality.

I have Atlantis 4 leather hydrophobic jacket which covers April through (sometimes with a winter with a layer or two) to October - southern hemisphere. Waterproof/windproof, smart sexy and expensive. Never been wet despite hours of torrential rain.

Standard Sidi leather jacket generally sometimes hot or cold but mostly serviceable.Handles showers and short rain rides - such a good feeling. Wet, cold nd arrived at destination. Yesssss!

Then there's the Comfortshell for waterproof riding with or without thermals etc. Prefer leather but common-sense interferes.

For most,these 3 cover all situations (almost) and when I am out of my comfort zone on a naked bike I remind myself; I love to ride first and succumb to the conditions second. Later when I am having a cool beer or a warming scotch there's another story to tell about the time that the snow started falling and ... or I was riding through the grass fires and the leather jacket ...

Isn't it fun? Otherwise you would be like all the others - on the bus or in the lift or office ... yawnnnnnnnn

[Bodes]

It's pretty simple really. You should get what you pay for. If you ride a naked, buy the gear you need because you ain't riding a comfort limo.

If you buy BMW gear you do -pay heaps and get quality.

I have Atlantis 4 leather hydrophobic jacket which covers April through (sometimes with a winter with a layer or two) to October - southern hemisphere. Waterproof/windproof, smart sexy and expensive. Never been wet despite hours of torrential rain.

Standard Sidi leather jacket generally sometimes hot or cold but mostly serviceable.Handles showers and short rain rides - such a good feeling. Wet, cold nd arrived at destination. Yesssss!

Then there's the Comfortshell for waterproof riding with or without thermals etc. Prefer leather but common-sense interferes.

For most,these 3 cover all situations (almost) and when I am out of my comfort zone on a naked bike I remind myself; I love to ride first and succumb to the conditions second. Later when I am having a cool beer or a warming scotch there's another story to tell about the time that the snow started falling and ... or I was riding through the grass fires and the leather jacket ...

Isn't it fun? Otherwise you would be like all the others - on the bus or in the lift or office ... yawnnnnnnnn

[rockbottom]

Hey Mark...Your post about the gear you use is very good and I'm sold. However I have a question about your ride "Tasmania (Australia) from Sydney and back (almost 5,000 km)." I looked at google maps and from what I could see Tasmania is an island. Perhaps there is a city on the mainland of Australia called Tasmania.

Robert

Ferry. http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au/

[redwing]

I like that boat. Could I ride my horse on that boat?
Is there a Tasmania on the mainland of Australia?
There are many places I would like to visit and Australia is one of many. However I probably will not see any land in the Southern Hemisphere... but you never know.

Robert

[ka5ysy]

+! on the Motoport Airmesh Kevlar... I crash tested my original jacket and pants and had no road rash at all. Crash caused 4 cracked ribs and a trashed helmet, but otherwise no damage. It amazed the ER doc that took care of me. Doc said the armor probably prevented a really bad case of broken ribs and punctured lung. Other than some fuzzing of the exterior surfaces of the jacket, no damage to it.

I changed to one of the hi-vis jackets when they became available, and it is noticeably cooler in the summer than the all-black original jacket.

I have to say that any gear other than the Motoport stuff makes me feel naked now.

[angellr]

+! on the Motoport Airmesh Kevlar... I crash tested my original jacket and pants and had no road rash at all. Crash caused 4 cracked ribs and a trashed helmet, but otherwise no damage. It amazed the ER doc that took care of me. Doc said the armor probably prevented a really bad case of broken ribs and punctured lung. Other than some fuzzing of the exterior surfaces of the jacket, no damage to it.

I changed to one of the hi-vis jackets when they became available, and it is noticeably cooler in the summer than the all-black original jacket.

I have to say that any gear other than the Motoport stuff makes me feel naked now.

+1 - AMEN! The Kevlar alone is worth the $$$, as this prevents ER Docs from having to honor the time tested method of asphalt/textile debridement in order to patch you up. If you have never been a party to this process, its not fun. As I have said before, best investment you will make on gear.